Gardai have told Independent.ie that they and the men’s families are “seriously concerned” for the safety of the two men - both in their early 30s.

Gardai in Santry and Fitzgibbon Street are seeking the public's assistance in tracing the whereabouts of Eoin O Connor, 32, and Anthony Keegan, 33.

Mr O'Connor was last seen on Tuesday evening at Kilbarron Avenue, Coolock. He 6’’ tall, of stocky build and has short brown hair and blue eyes. When last seen he was wearing a grey track suit bottoms and a blue windbreaker type jacket with a hood.

Anthony Keegan is described as being 5’ 10’’ tall, medium build with short brown hair and brown eyes.

Both men are believed to have travelled together to the Cavan area in a silver Ford Focus car registration 04 D 46380 on Tuesday evening.

It is understood farmers have been asked to search their lands and outhouses for the two men.

Anyone with information about the two men or the silver Ford Focus car they were travelling in are asked to contact Ballymun garda station on 01 6664400, the garda confidential telephone line 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

Searches are being carried out in the Virginia and Ballyjamesduff areas of Co Cavan where the men were last seen.

It is understood that the men, whose names have not been released, were reported missing after a group of men from Dublin went to Cavan last night looking for them.

The group, which included relatives of the missing pair, went to the gardai after they visited a number of people in Ballyjamesduff.

It is understood the group had visited a number of Dublin people in the area who were the last to see the two men.

“When they didn’t get the answers they were looking for the family then reported the matter to gardai,” a source said.

Sources have revealed that gardai believe the disappearance of the two men is connected to the activities of a major Dublin-based crime gang with connections to Co Cavan.

A garda source told Independent.ie this afternoon: “Both the gardai and the men’s families are seriously concerned for their safety at this stage and every effort is being made to locate them.”